Adam Kiesling - Posted - 08/03/2018:  13:06:07

Well, I took a gander at the TOTW list to see if "Sail Away Ladies" had been done before, and it turns out it was. By none other than yours truly, back in 2010. I'm thinking of a different "Sail Away Ladies," however, so I think I'm safe.

I first heard this version of "Sail Away Ladies" on the late (and great!) Craig Johnson's solo CD, Away Down the Road. Most folks probably know of Craig from his work with the Double Decker String Band. You can hear a snippet of Craig's version here: 5-string.com/sound/5sp06001/Sa...adies.mp3

He learned the tune from the fiddling of Luther Davis (I'm not sure if Craig learned the tune in person or from a recording of Luther). Here's Luther's version (courtesy of Slippery Hill): slippery-hill.com/recording/sa...-ladies-2

Luther was born in 1887 in Grayson County, Virginia, and took up the fiddle as a teenager. His main influence as a musician was a fiddler named Green Leonard. Luther also was a neighbor of legendary Galax fiddler Emmet Lundy. Don Mussell has a webpage that gives a little more biographical information. donmussell.smugmug.com/Music/Luther-Davis/

I thought that this paragraph was pretty interesting:

Writing about Lundy in the liner notes, Tony Russell says the advent of the banjo and guitar and ensemble playing fundamentally changed the way the fiddle was played. "What once had been free-standing melody was now placed with the confines of an instrument which could only produce a few chords. "When one fiddler is playing alone, he is quite free to change tunes, hold notes, extend phrases whenever he wishes. This cannot be done when two musicians are involved."

Here's some more info from Marty McGee's book, Traditional Musicians of the Central Blue Ridge. Don Mussell also another page with some pics and recollections. BHO member @BrendanD is in one of the photos--maybe he can chime in?

I'm not sure what all of Luther's music has been reissued on CD, but I've been looking for a copy of this LP for a while: discogs.com/Luther-Davis-Rosco.../10368620

Anyways, back to "Sail Away Ladies." I don't have a tab of the tune, and I haven't gotten around to recording a banjo version of it yet, but it's a G tune and lays out pretty well on the banjo in standard G tuning. Notation can be found on page 567 of the Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes. Here's a recording from the Mossy Roof stringband page that'll give you an idea of what it sounds like with fiddle, banjo and guitar: stringband.mossyroof.com/SailA...avis2.mp3

Have fun!

RG - Posted - 08/03/2018:  14:27:11

Oh man, that is flat out one of my favorite tunes Adam!!!  Great TOTW choice...

Edited by - RG on 08/03/2018 14:27:40

banjo bill-e - Posted - 08/03/2018:  15:56:46

OK, this makes the third completely different tune/song titled Sail Away Ladies. There is the Uncle Dave one that resembles Sally
Ann, and the rather rare version that Dan Gellert plays and sings, and now this one. And probably more.

Cyndy - Posted - 08/03/2018:  17:26:52

Well! I had never thought to go looking for another version of Sail Away Ladies because I absolutely love the one I already know. You've expanded my horizons. :) Thanks!

Adam Kiesling - Posted - 08/03/2018:  18:08:27

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjo bill-e

OK, this makes the third completely different tune/song titled Sail Away Ladies. There is the Uncle Dave one that resembles Sally

Ann, and the rather rare version that Dan Gellert plays and sings, and now this one. And probably more.

---

Dan's version is great! According to the liner notes from his Tiki Parlor release, it's from the playing of West Virginian banjo player Jenes Cottrell. 

Then you also have Tommy Jarrell's version: youtu.be/YCeQPi2yV4A

JanetB - Posted - 08/03/2018:  21:40:11

Thanks, Adam. I always like learning a tune from Luther Davis and think of Alice Gerrard who visited and recorded him with Andy Cahan. Like you, I wish The Old Time Way recordings were released again. In the booklet it states that Sail Away Ladies was learned from Charlie Higgins (1878-1967) and that Luther Davis said of this special friend (who was ten years older), "Every once in a while, Charlie'd speak out -- 'God almighty bless you, sail away!' -- just playin' right on."

Sail Away Ladies (Luther Davis) (TOTW)

Sail Away Ladies (Luther Davis) (CH) tab

cmic - Posted - 08/04/2018:  02:54:45

And yes, Bill is right, it seems there are many versions of this tune. Until now, I only knew  "Sail Away Ladies" as played and sung by Laura Boosinger on the CD "Old Time Banjo Festival".

This tune also appears on a CD of Laura (titled "Mountain Treasures") on her site lauraboosinger.com/index.php?p...music.php

Happy to discover more about this one !

ndlxs - Posted - 08/04/2018:  06:19:41

Not Luther Davis, no banjo here...here is my version of Sail Away Ladies reconfigured as a sea shanty.



soundcloud.com/ndlxs/sail-away-ladies

hendrid - Posted - 08/04/2018:  14:38:09

Try the link this way. Thanks Andy  needs a   soundcloud.com/

soundcloud.com/ndlxs/sail-away-ladies

Edited by - hendrid on 08/04/2018 14:40:22

cmic - Posted - 08/05/2018:  01:30:03

@Andy: Superb song. I really enjoy, though it's not banjo 8-)
It reminds me of Martin Carthy, the Watersons

Cheers

ScottK - Posted - 08/07/2018:  15:25:09

Hey Adam, great tune choice and great write-up. Regarding that LP, John Hatton had a small stash of new copies at his table at POTMG a couple years ago, so I snagged a copy from him. If you see him at a festival this summer, you might ask if he has any left.

Scott